U.S. House Passes Bill to Keep
Communities Exposed to Toxic Coal AshVote Endangers
Americans’ Drinking Water

Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S.
House of Representatives passed Coal Residuals Reuse
and Management Act (H.R. 2273), a bill that endangers the health and safety of
thousands of communities.

In
response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following
statement:

“It’s no wonder that Rep. David
McKinley, who introduced this reckless and dangerous bill, received an ‘F’ for
his clean water voting record.
Coal ash is a dangerous by-product of burning coal, and contains
mercury, arsenic, lead and other life-threatening pollutants that leach into
the water supply.

“Outrageously, this dirty and dangerous bill would put a weak
scheme in place that requires more protections on household trash than toxic
coal ash, even though coal ash pollution includes health risks like cancer,
neurological disorders, birth defects, reproductive failure, asthma and other
serious illnesses.

“To keep their operating costs as low as possible, however,
polluters are digging in their heels and marshaling their pro-polluter allies
in Congress against commonsense operating standards and public health
protections.

“Rep.
McKinley and other members of Congress who voted for H.R. 2273 today are
catering to polluter interests over the health and well-being of their
constituents. This bill is yet another
dangerous attack by House Leadership on public health protections, and we urge the Senate to reject it.”